Bryan Reynolds Turned Down Two Long-Term Offers

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds turned down two long-term deals with the team before the 2021 season, according to a source. Reynolds finished 11th in National League MVP voting last year and was 16th in fWAR (5.5) last season. The 27-year-old bet on himself and made the right decision. The Pirates and Reynolds have yet […]

Bryce Harper Stumping For Kris Bryant

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper, who won the National League MVP last year, is stumping for free-agent third baseman Kris Bryant, who is one of his good friends and neighbor in Las Vegas. The Phillies have plenty of needs and also options in free agency, and Bryant can fit at either the hot corner or […]

Jorge Soler Expected To Be A Hot Target

Free-agent outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler is expected to receive interest from a number of teams now that free agency talks have resumed. According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, Soler received interest from over six teams prior to the lockout. And now that the designated hitter spot is officially coming to the National League, the interest in […]

J.D. Davis Could Be On The Move

New York Mets infielder/outfielder J.D. Davis is among one of the top trade candidates for the team, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. Puma reports that prior to the lockout, there were a number of teams that expressed interest in Davis, including the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins and Oakland […]

Strong Septembers to Remember - 2022 Breakout Candidates

One of the most difficult things to do as a fantasy sports contributor is attempting to glean valuable information from small sample sizes. Small sample sizes represent a higher opportunity for variance, which can wreak havoc if not taken seriously or properly accounted for. However, variance isn't all bad and there are certain things to […]

Noteworthy Hitting Leaders (xBA) - Statcast Review for Fantasy Baseball

There are stats for everything now. It's great, but it can also be overwhelming at times. Depending on where we look, we can tell ourselves all different types of narratives about a player. As a result, I've always been a proponent of identifying the stats that you find to be most useful/beneficial and focusing on […]

Yankees Have Interest In Michael Conforto

The New York Yankees were among the teams showing interest in free-agent outfielder Michael Conforto before the lockout. With the lockout set to end on Thursday, Conforto could soon find a home, but it remains to be seen if it will be with the Yankees. The 29-year-old struggled to the tune of a .232/.344/.384 slash […]

MLB, Players Association Reach Tentative Agreement

Major League Baseball and the Players Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor deal on Thursday, according to sources. It needs to be officially ratified by both parties, but that's expected to be a formality. Players can report to spring training camps as early as Friday, while Opening Day is expected to […]

MLB Free Agency Could Open Thursday Night

Major League Baseball free agency could reopen by Thursday night if there is a new collective bargaining agreement on Thursday, according to Tom Verducci. The league and players agreed to work on a new international draft with a deadline this summer. If they agree on something by then, an international draft will kick off in […]

Matt Szczur Announces Retirement

Outfielder Matt Szczur officially announced his retirement on his Twitter page earlier this week. The 32-year-old played in five big league seasons from 2014-18. Four of those seasons came playing for the Chicago Cubs, and he finished up with two seasons for the San Diego Padres. In 667 career plate appearances, Szczur hit .231/.312/.355 with […]

Erick Pena Maturing As A Hitter

Kansas City Royals outfield prospect Erick Pena, who struggled in the Rookie League at 18 years old last year when he hit .161/.256/.314 with 57 strikeouts and 15 walks, has a more refined approach at the plate this year and is working to repair his swing mechanics. He has widened his stance at the plate […]

MLB, Players Agree On Draft/Qualifying Offer

Major League Baseball and the Players Association agreed to a solution for the international draft/qualifying offers for free agents, which was the biggest sticking point in talks for a new collective bargaining agreement on Wednesday. The two sides will now have until July 25 to work on a fair international draft, and if something gets […]

2022 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings - Prospects #26-51 (Part 1)

We've seen quite a few challenges thrown at fantasy baseball managers over the past couple of years and the 2022 season is going to be no different. Labor discourse will delay and shorten the 162-game schedule, which will, in turn, have repercussions on fantasy baseball. One of the biggest unknowns heading into the 2022 season […]

Contact Rate Gainers - Statcast Review for Fantasy Baseball

As the MLB and MLBPA keep working towards ending the lockout and getting baseball back into our lives, we've been keeping the offseason content going by digging into some 2021 stats. While we all obviously want the lockout to end, this is a useful time to do your research and have a better understanding of […]

Late-Round Stolen Base Targets for Fantasy Baseball

Ah, stolen bases. It's a real love/hate relationship. They're fun, but they also seem to be dying out, which means fantasy baseball managers are hunting for them like Nicholas Cage hunting for his precious truffle pig. (Side note: "Pig" is such a gem. Forget whatever you think it's about and just watch it. It's so […]

MLB Cancels Games Through April 13

Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday that games have been canceled through April 13 after the league and players were unable to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement. Almost no progress was made in negotiations on Wednesday, although the players union moved slightly on the luxury tax -- the two sides are now $12 […]

Post-Hype Hitters Ready To Break Out

In a day and age where prospect coverage is at an all-time high, we as a baseball community have never hyped up prospects to the extent we are currently. Once upon a time, prospects were seen as unproven commodities that we asset in trades for established big-league players. Now, they're the exciting new kid on […]

How Will the MLB Lockout Impact Top AL Central Prospects?

In part two of this ongoing series, I will cover the top prospects from the American League Central that may be impacted by the lockout imposed by MLB ownership. You can read about AL East Prospects here. As fantasy baseball managers, we must consider the ramifications of this lockout for minor leaguers. Remember that this […]

Biggest Brl/BBE% Gainers - Statcast Review for Fantasy Baseball Hitters

Often when it comes to fantasy baseball, we get overloaded with statistics and it becomes hard to sort out what's useful from what's misleading. Many experts can write pages about why they swear by certain stats as being the most predictive for future success or accurate in reflecting who had a good season. While the […]

MLB Sets Another Deadline For Tuesday

Major League Baseball and the Players Association lawyers met again on Monday and plan to meet again on Tuesday, with the league suggesting Tuesday is another deadline to play 162 games and for players to get full pay and service time in 2022. Commissioner Rob Manfred canceled the first two series of the regular season […]

Joey Gallo, Others Could Benefit From Ban On Shifts

The MLB Players Association agreed to allow the league to ban shifts, implement a pitch clock and make bases larger in 2023, subject to those agreements fitting into a new collective bargaining agreement. New York Yankees first baseman/outfielder Joey Gallo, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Austin Meadows, free-agent first baseman Anthony Rizzo and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder […]

MLB, Players Not Making Much Progress

Both Major League Baseball and the Players Association believe they've made many major concessions and the other side has made very few. Both sides believe the other side is being unreasonable, so we may be in for quite a wait for a new collective bargaining agreement to be finalized. The competitive balance tax remains the […]

Jarren Duran: 2022 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

While Marcelo Mayer, Triston Casas, and Nick Yorke are regularly ranked as the top-hitting prospects for the Boston Red Sox, there’s only one hitting prospect on the team who warrants your attention going into drafts for season-long leagues this year, and that’s 25-year-old outfielder Jarren Duran. Casas will likely find his way to the majors […]

Mark Mathias Taking Part In Brewers Minicamp

Milwaukee Brewers infielder/outfielder Mark Mathias (shoulder), who suffered a season-ending injury to his throwing shoulder during spring training last year, has not been limited at the team's minicamp. Mathias initially injured his right shoulder in the second week of March in 2020, but he underwent surgery on May 5 and began a tough recovery. The […]

Rece Hinds Moving From Third Base To Outfield

Cincinnati Reds third base prospect Rece Hinds will be moving from the hot corner to the outfield this year. Hinds, who has impressive raw power from the right side of the plate, is listed as the team's No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline. The position switch isn't set in stone, but the Reds want to […]

Pete Crow-Armstrong At Full Strength After Surgery

Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (shoulder), who was acquired by the Cubs in the deal that sent infielder Javier Baez to the New York Mets last year, is back to full strength after having surgery to fix a torn labrum in his non-throwing right shoulder last year. The soon-to-be 20-year-old is the Cubs No. 5 […]

MLB, Players Union To Meet Again Sunday

Major League Baseball and the players union negotiators will resume talks on Sunday after a one-day break. The labor talks will mostly center around the competitive balance tax. The players union is expected to present their counterproposal to the league. Spring training games have already been canceled through at least March 18, and the first […]

MLB Teams Asking About Canceling Rule 5 Draft

Multiple teams have inquired with Major League Baseball about the possibility of canceling the Rule 5 draft this year, according to sources. Teams have clamped down on scouting of minor leaguers currently in spring training camps during the lockout due to uncertainty over the Rule 5 draft. No decision has been made on the major […]

Top-Five Strategies for Winning NFBC Best Ball Leagues

Best-ball leagues have become more popular in recent years in fantasy baseball. Dedicated players have made fantasy baseball a year-round game, and nothing prepares us better than to participate in drafts. Many of us have learned the hard way that overloading on leagues that require FAAB or setting lineups can hurt our overall results. One […]

Bubba's 2022 Tout Wars 12-Team Mixed Draft Recap

Even though Rob Manfred and the MLB owners decided to prolong the lockout and already cancel some regular-season games, we are drafting. I had the pleasure of partaking in the 12-team mixed league draft for Tout Wars on Tuesday. It is my second year in the league, and it is the second year for this […]